Help! My teacher doesn’t like the pointe shoes I was fit in!

So you were fit in pointe shoes at a dancewear store.  Then you showed them to your teacher (hopefully unworn and unsewn).  Good for you.  That’s something you should always do when you change to a new pointe shoe.  Then your teacher delivered the news:  She doesn’t like them. 

Unfortunately this happens sometimes.  In this post, I will outline what to do if your ballet teacher does not like the pointe shoes you were fit in.

1.  Ask your teacher what about the shoes she does not like and write this information down or store it in your phone.  Sometimes teachers are partial to certain brands, shapes, types of ribbon and elastic, etc.  It is totally ok for teachers to have opinions like this, but as professionals they need to know that their favorites do not necessarily work for everyone.  Ask your teacher if she thinks your pointe shoes are unsafe or harmful for you to wear.  If she says yes, plan on returning them.  If she says no, ask if you can keep this pair for now and try a different option next time.  If you can keep this pair, make sure you remember what your teacher doesn’t like about them so it can be corrected in your next pair.

2.  If you need to return your shoes, check the store’s return policy.  Each policy varies, but usually pointe shoes can be returned in original condition with the box and receipt within a few days of purchase. (If you drove from out of town for your fitting, call the store and ask what they would like you to do in terms of a return.  Many locally owned stores are forgiving and may extend the date on the return policy so you have time to make another trip.)  Most fitters are willing to re-fit a shoe that a teacher has disapproved, but remember that fitters are human and may feel hurt that their fitting wasn’t “good enough.”  Be kind when you are explaining that you need a refit, and show the fitter the information you got from your teacher about what needs to be changed. 

3.  If the fitter has any difficulty with the refit (either personal/attitude or with physically finding a better shoe), try to call your teacher during the fitting.  You can talk to her or have the fitter talk to her so that everyone understands what is going on.  You can also ask to speak to the store manager, owner, or a more experienced fitter (if there is one).  If there are difficulties, remember that as the dancer it is not your fault.  Do not settle for a shoe that does not work for you.

4.  If the fitter is still unable to find a better shoe, re-schedule your fitting for a time when your teacher can come with you and actually see the shoes on your feet.  If you leave a fitting without a shoe, most stores charge a fitting fee but will refund it later if you come back and purchase a shoe.  Be prepared for this; it is the store’s way of paying employees for their time spent fitting.

5.  Hopefully you will find a shoe when you have your fitting with your teacher.  If things are still not going well with this fitting, work with the fitter and your teacher to find the most “okay” shoe for you right now, and be prepared to look at other options such as taking a weekend trip to the next town to get fit elsewhere.

6.  Once you find a shoe that you and your teacher both like, make sure you know exactly what it is (write down the brand, model, size, width, and all specifications so you can find it in stores or online).  If you go through puberty, gain or lose weight, or become pregnant, expect your feet to change.  You will probably need to change pointe shoes at least 2 or 3 times over the course of your time as a ballet student.  Continue to work closely with your teachers and fitters to always find the best shoe for you.

7.  If your teacher seems unreasonably picky about your pointe shoes and puts you through a fitting ordeal multiple times even when you and the fitter are happy with your shoes and feel confident that you are safe, consider working with a different teacher or at a different studio.  Some teachers are “stuck in the past” and think that everyone needs to be in a Capezio Pavlova when Capezio Pavlovas are not ideal shoes for all dancers.  This kind of inflexible thinking is not professional, and it does not help dancers work their hardest to become professionals themselves (which, after all, is what dance teachers are supposed to do). 

8.  If a fitter repeatedly pushes a shoe on you that both you and your teacher don’t like, don’t work with that fitter anymore.  Fitters usually receive in depth training on pointe shoe safety and fitting, but sometimes that is overshadowed by sales training.  Your safety and satisfaction should be the fitter’s main goals.  Unfortunately, bad fitters are out there, just like bad teachers.